US to Pakistan: Eradicate terror safe havens on your soil

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Pakistan must prevent all militants from operating within and across its borders, a senior US military commander says, renewing the Trump administration’s demand for eradication of terror safe havens.
Central Command (Centcom) chief Gen Joseph Votel issued the call on Thursday after a series of meetings with senior Pakistani military commanders, including Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa.
Statements from both sides reinforced the perception that Pakistan and the United States are yet to overcome their trust deficit on Trump’s new strategy despite a string of high-level meetings.
Gen Votel underlined the importance of improved Afghan-Pakistan relations and the need for strengthened on Durand Line, including measures to coordinate military operations on both sides.
A statement from the US embassy in Islamabad said: “Votel underscored the vital role Pakistan can play in facilitating a peace process in Afghanistan and in bringing stability to the region.”
The Centcom commander met Gen Bajwa, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Hayat and Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar.
Bajwa told Votel Pakistan’s committed efforts for peace in Afghanistan were not being reciprocated, according to a statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal told a media briefing that efforts were continuing “to bridge the gap between the perceptions of the two countries in the wake of President Trump’s South Asia policy, and to arrive at a consensus on moving forward…”
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